Haiti's government announced new austerity measures on Tuesday as the war in Iran disrupts critical oil supplies and drives up prices worldwide.
The measures include a ban on the purchase of any new vehicles, reduced fuel expenditures for public institutions, and restrictions on foreign travel to essential missions authorised by the prime minister. Security escorts will also be limited to one vehicle in a country where gangs control an estimated 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and swaths of rural areas.
A statement signed by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said the measures would allow the government “to anticipate serious repercussions on the already fragile macroeconomic balance and public finances in particular.” It added: “The government has no choice but to further reduce state spending.”
Poverty across Haiti has deepened as gangs continue to seize control of more territory since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Elsewhere, countries have also taken steps to cope with the war's impact, including shifting to a four-day work week.
